COMM 1740

Cultural Studies Paper

Summarize Text/Event

Topic Sentence. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a TV series from the 90s following the captain
of a frontier outpost on the edge of an interstellar conflict. While not as popular as earlier series,
it drew praise for its political realism.
Main Point 1. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was a science fiction television series premiering on
January 3rd, 1993. Its original run ended six years later, with the series finale airing June 2nd,
1999.
Subpoint 1. Deep Space Nine is the third TV series in the Star Trek franchise, and like the
preceding series it broke barriers for the medium.
Subpoint 2. The Star Trek franchise began in the 1960s with The Original Series, a show that
gathered popularity in the next decades to become one of the most popular TV series of all time.
Following a number of feature films in the franchise, Paramount Studios produced a second TV
series, The Next Generation, which began airing in 1987.
Main Point 2. Set in a utopian future where humanity is one of many spacefaring species
throughout the galaxy, Deep Space Nine follows Benjamin Sisko, a single father and widower
put in command of a Federation frontier outpost near the planet Bajor, homeworld of the Bajoran
alien species.
Subpoint 1. The primary conflict of the series is the military occupation of Bajor by another
alien species, the imperialist Cardassians.
Subpoint 2. Sisko and his crew are in a complicated position as third party mediators to the
conflict, and their duties often put them into the conflict as participants.
Main Point 3. While not as popular at the time as the preceding series, Deep Space Nine has
drawn recognition for its realistic portrayal of war and politics.
Subpoint 1. Deep Space Nine wasn’t as successful in audience ratings as The Next Generation,
but it was well received by critics.
Subpoint 2. The show is notable for its politically explicit plot dealing with topics like
imperialist war and genocide, as well as for its diverse cast, including Avery Brooks in the lead
role as Commander Benjamin Sisko.

Appreciate/Love about Text/Event

Topic Sentence. Deep Space Nine is significant among television shows for its political nuance,
depicting the brutality of imperialist war and protagonists facing morally ambiguous situations in
their roles as participants in conflicts.
Main Point 1. I appreciate the show’s willingness to criticize imperialist wars.
Subpoint 1. Sisko and the show’s other characters witness Cardassian atrocities during the
military occupation of Bajor.
Subpoint 2. Though the main characters’ Federation has a treaty with the Cardassians at the
beginning of the series, the events the characters witness weigh heavily on them and eventually
make them question whether their loyalty to the Federation means they must stand by in the face
of injustice.
Main Point 2. I also appreciate Deep Space Nine for depicting individuals facing morally
ambiguous situations where their personal principles conflict with their institutional roles.
Subpoint 1. The show’s lead character, Commander Sisko, is forced to decide between his
personal principles and his loyalty to the Federation. As the series progresses he engages in
greater deceptions and illegal acts in an attempt to bring an end to the conflict.
Subpoint 2. Another nuanced study in moral ambiguity is the character Kira Nerys, a Bajoran
former guerrilla fighter and Sisko’s second in command. Kira’s participation in the Bajoran
resistance is examined throughout the series, and she is alternately characterized as a freedom
fighter and a terrorist.
Shaped How You See Yourself/World

Topic Sentence. Deep Space Nine shaped how I see U.S. imperialism, as well as modern
resistance movements worldwide.
Main Point 1. Watching Deep Space Nine when I was younger gave me a different perspective
on real world conflicts and, specifically, the role of the United States as an imperialist
superpower.
Subpoint 1. My worldview used to be pretty much in line with the view put forward by
American propaganda: that America is a benevolent force on the world stage that uses its
military hegemony to support freedom and justice throughout the world.
Subpoint 2. Deep Space Nine is an American show and still brings with it cultural assumptions.
But its fictional setting lets it offer a more critical perspective on international politics than most
American television.
Main Point 2. Deep Space Nine also gave me a more nuanced view of the actions of individuals
put into conflict.
Subpoint 1. While most TV and other American media present a simplified black and white
view of morality, reality is far more complex, especially in cases of political injustice and
repression.
Subpoint 2. When I was studying global resistance movements much later, Deep Space Nine
gave me the perspective to understand the actions of groups involved in guerrilla struggle against
imperialism, like the Zapatistsas in southern Mexico.

Attuned to Justice/Equity for Marginalized Communities

Topic Sentence. Deep Space Nine encouraged me to participate in action for social justice and to
form friendships across different cultures.
Main Point 1. Deep Space Nine made me more aware of the importance of social justice, which
eventually led me to participate in student groups and protests as a teenager.
Subpoint 1. In high school I joined a student group on the local college campus that organized
around social justice issues. The experience showed me that individuals can take direct action to
social and political ends.
Main Point 2. Deep Space Nine also encouraged me to learn more about different cultures, and
consider how people end up displaced by global conflict.
Subpoint 1. I make an effort to talk to and befriend people from different cultures. My friends in
high school included Ali, whose family fled the civil war in their home country Syria, and
Gennady, whose immigrant parents followed strict Russian Orthodox beliefs.
Subpoint 2. Another reason for my awareness of multiculturalism is living abroad in Lithuania
for several years in my childhood. It was a different cultural environment for me in many ways,
and shows like Deep Space Nine gave me a reference for understanding the cultural differences
around me.
References

Carson, David, dir. 1993. Deep Space Nine. Season 1, episode 1, “Emissary.” Aired January 3,
1993.

Erdmann, Terry J. and Block, Paula M. 2002. Deep Space Nine Companion. Simon and
Schuster.